North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Smokefree areas on rise
Smoking at beaches and outdoor dining areas will soon be a thing of the past in Auckland.
Auckland Council has approved a policy to increase the number of smokefree outdoor spaces.
Beaches, al fresco dining areas and urban centres would be stamped smokefree from November, under the city’s Smokefree Policy.
Restaurants with footpath dining areas said the move would be unquestionably good for people’s heath but anticipated a backlash from some smoking patrons.
The policy excluded e-cigarettes and vaping, said environment committee chair Penny Hulse.
It also only applied to footpath dining areas and did not include private dining spaces with designated smoking areas, she said.
‘‘Our job is [to] support the work that’s being done by The Cancer Society, The Ministry of Health and public health,’’ Hulse said.
The Cancer Society’s chief executive John Loof said the benefits will be threefold:
‘‘Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand, so this cut-down will see reduced exposure to second-hand smoke.
‘‘Secondly, fewer children will see people smoking around them and want to copy them, and thirdly it makes it a little bit easier for people who are trying to quit smoking,’’ he said.